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San Francisco Homelessness in the Media 2010 (January to June)
Homelessness in San Francisco came under increased media attention in mid-2007, especially through an ongoing series in The Chronicle. This page will provide links and summaries of those stories, as well as other sources, in order to give SFHomeless.net users an overview and ready access. This page is meant as a resource. Please do not use summaries as a place to voice opinions or make judgments. Please feel free to add links to stories that deal specifically with SF Homelessness published since Summer 2007. Thank you. 6/29/10 - KTVU Channel 2 - Amber Lee "Battle Brewing Over San Francisco's Project Homeless Connect" Summary: Board of Supervisors Budget Committee frustrates Mayor Newsom's hope of expanding his Project Homeless Connect. Video included. 6/28/10 - San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center - Michael Steinberg "Eight Arrests in SF Protest over Shelter Closure, Looming Cuts" Summary: "Eight people were arrested in San Francisco today for occupying the city’s Human Services Agency in protest of the closing of a homeless shelter and the mistreatment of the people who had used its services, who were callously turned out on the streets. Those people had been promised 90 day vouchers to use the services of other city homeless shelters. Instead they were locked out and left to fend for themselves on the streets of San Francisco." 6/28/10 - San Francisco Examiner - Joshua Sabatini "Funding cut off for mayor’s homeless program" Summary: Mayor Newsom blasts Board of Supervisors who want to cut funds which would expand his signature Project Homeless Connect. "'We already have existing organizations and services that are provided in different places in San Francisco that do that work on a daily basis,” committee chair Supervisor John Avalos said. “And to create a new program that would duplicate some of that work at a greater cost, to me, doesn’t make a lot of sense — especially with our budget deficit.'” 6/24/10 - Everett Washington Daily Herald - Julie Muhlstein "Once homeless, Snohomish filmmaker has a message" Summary: Eric “Protein” Moseley, formerly homeless, has a filmed message for President Obama. “A Cry Out to Obama,” asks homeless and service providers in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood the question, "How did Obama do in his early months in office?" 6/24/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "S.F. saturated with services - some have to go" Summary: Nevius argues that San Francisco must eliminate some services for the poor and homeless as an economic necessity. 6/24/10 - Wall Street Journal - Geoffrey A. Fowler "An Advocate for the Poor Speaks Out" Summary: In the wake of financier Warren Buffett's gift to Glide, the Wall Street Journal interviews Cecil Williams. Video included. 6/23/10 - Washington Post - Henri E. Cauvin "Administration broadens effort to fight homelessness" Summary: A 67-page strategy to end homelessness, drafted by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness was released by the White House yesterday. It doers not commit additional federal money to ending homelessness. 6/22/10 - SFist - Brock Keeling "Obama to End Homelessness Via Project Homeless Connect?" Summary: Is Obama modeling his plan to end homelessness on San Francisco Mayor Newsom's programs? 6/22/10 - White House -United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) "The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness" Summary: "The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) releases the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness." White House video. 6/22/10 - - United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) "The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness" Summary: USICH strategic plan adopted by Obama administration to end homelessness in America. Pdf. 6/22/10 - - Associated Press "Government launching plan to halt homelessness" Summary: An ambitious goal of ending homeless among veterans in 5 years and families and children in 10 years will be announced today by officials on behalf of the White House. 6/22/10 - San Francisco Examiner - John Upton "Biotech hub missing out on tax revenue" Summary: "Growth at Mission Bay has outpaced the speed with which San Francisco County Assessor Phil Ting’s office ordinarily reassesses neighborhoods’ property values. As a result, owners of the 10 towering buildings in Mission Bay are paying as much property tax as they did in 2007, when their land was, in some cases, covered with dirt.... Reassessment of property values for Mission Bay’s newest buildings could help formerly homeless families find affordable shelter." 6/21/10 - San Jose Mercury - Paul Elias "Nazi salute case to help define free speech limits" Summary: A Nazi salute made by an advocate for the homeless at a Santa Cruz city council has put the limits of free speech in question. 6/21/10 - BoingBoing.net - Lisa Katayama "My love affair with timur (or how to cook a Nepali village feast)" Summary: Learning about Nepalese food with the help of a charitable group in San Francisco that feeds the poor and homeless. 6/21/10 - San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center - Derailer "Succeeds in Feeding the Hungry!" Summary: Having avoided potential conflict with local authorities, Diablo Food Not Bombs, with the support of East Bay and San Francisco Food Not Bombs, fed hungry and underprivileged people at the Concord Farmers Market on June 17th, . 6/20/10 - San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center - Kiilu Nyasha "SF Live TV - Jennifer Friedenbach: War on the Homeless" Summary: Kiilu Nyasha talks to Jennifer Friedenbach in April 2008 about the housing crisis and homelessness issues. 6/18/10 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "Tenderloin Halfway House Fire Displaces 123" Summary: Fire at Cornell Companies-owned 111 Taylor Street Building makes 123 persons homeless. 6/17/10 - San Diego 10News.com "Stickers: 'Please Don't Feed Our Bums'" Summary: San Diego is now experiencing an aggressive, young homeless panhandler situation (similar to Haight?), and merchants are selling stickers "Don't feed our bums". 6/17/10 - KTVU.com - "Cause Of Three-Alarm Tenderloin Fire Still Unknown" Summary: A fire at 111 Taylor Street left 131 people homeless. With the help of the Recreation Department and the Department of Public Health they will be sheltered temporarily at the Gene Friend Recreation Center. 6/17/10 - New York Times - Zusha Elison "Homeless Find Shelter in Affluent Districts" Summary: Challenges of finding housing for homeless in affluent San Francisco neighborhoods. 6/17/10 - SF Public Press - Conor Gallagher "Brakes put on indigent transportation program" Summary: The Mobile Assistance Patrol (MAP) program run by the Community Awareness & Treatment Services faces a reduction in services due to a loss of $300,000 in funds for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. It is expected to affect 841 people. According to Wayne Garnet who manages Northern California's largest homeless shelter, it "will result in the sick getting sicker." 6/16/10 - NewsReview.com - Seth Sandronsky "Timed-out teens: Local foster youth often become homeless adults. Can anyone stop the cycle?" Summary: Chronic homelessness is a persistent problem in California for foster teens who “timed out” of an already fragile social safety net. A spokesperson for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says that the latest budget revision maintains last year’s spending of $35.9 million from the general fund for a transitional foster youth program. Mentioned in the story, here is a link to the full report by Elizabeth Calvin on the problem. 6/16/10 - SF Public Press - Katy Gathright "Marathon public hearing decries cuts in health services" Summary: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s plan to cut $6 million from mental health and substance abuse programs draws huge outcry at a public hearing Tuesday. 6/16/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Harmon Leon "What's the most disgusting thing you've seen in San Francisco?" Summary: Not endorsed by the Chronicle's Editors, but given space at the Chronicle's web portal, SFGate, "prominent local citizen" Leon asks a question that appeared tailored, judging by the hundreds of elicited comments, to give vent to a wealth of vile memories and cruel hatreds-- many focused on sick, helpless, and homeless San Franciscans. 6/15/10 - The Bold Italic - Various contributors "Neighborhood Watch: Sixth Street and Market" Summary: Journalists stake out San Francisco neighborhood for 24 hours to provide vignettes and commentary. Video included. 6/15/10 - SF Bay Guardian - Tim Redmond "Why Newsom loves sit-lie" Summary: Political pundit says sit-lie is a wedge issue. 6/15/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Will Kane "New extension sought on SoMa child care center" Summary: Parents, community leaders and politicians held a news conference Monday morning outside the Children's Village Development Center to protest the planned August closure of the SOMA located Children's Village Development Center which serves low-income and homeless families. 6/15/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - John Coté "Mayor brings sit/lie ordinance to S.F. voters" Summary: If you sit or lie down on a public sidewalk or put any object placed on the sidewalk, like a crate or folding chair, from the hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. you will be committing a crime in San Francisco according to an ordinance the mayor wants voters to endorse in November. The proposed Sit/Lie ordinance is "pitting residents, merchants and police against activists for the homeless, day laborers and the poor." San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi is considering a legal challenge if the ordinance becomes law. 6/14/10 - San Francisco Weekly - Chris Roberts " Sit-Lie Rebranded; "Civil Sidewalks" Sure to be Wedge Issue in Fall Elections" Summary: Police Chief George Gascon and Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who favor Sit/Lie ordinance legislation did not attend a Civil Sidewalks' community meeting held Monday at the Mark Twain Hotel. There, proponents and opponents of the proposed law made statements leading commentator to believe Sit/Lie will be on the ballot as a wedge issue to divide San Franciscans in the fall. 6/13/10 - Appeal-Democrat - Sen. George Runner "Letter: Enforcing Jessica's Law" Summary: In response to an earlier article that reported about sex offenders who may be homeless, the author of Jessica's Law (which limits distance sex offenders can live from schools) points out merits of GPS bracelets and how the chair of the California Public Safety Committee (not named, but State Senator Mark Leno) killed a bill that would redraw distances in San Francisco. 6/13/10 - Sacramento Bee - Sam Stanton "Famous hacker suddenly finds himself infamous, in some quarters" Summary: Profile of Adrian Lamo, "the most famous computer hacker in the world at the moment", aka the "homeless hacker." 6/11/10 - The San Francisco Chronicle - Judi Iranyi "Open Forum: Let's make Laura's Law more user-friendly" Summary: Clinical social worker, and advocate for the homeless argues that Laura's Law should be implemented in San Francisco, but tweaked so that existing mental health services won't be adversely affected. 6/11/10 - The Bay Citizen - Scott James "Viewpoints on SF's Sit/Lie Proposal" Summary: Article provides forum for various viewpoints regarding the proposed Sit/Lie ordinances. 6/11/10 - Wall Street Journal - Geoffrey A. Fowler "Buffett Charity Auction Fetches Record $2.6 Million" Summary: An anonymous bidder on EBay wins lunch at a New York steakhouse with financial tycoon Warren Buffet. The record bid of $2.6 million will benefit the Glide Foundation in San Francisco. 6/10/10 - New York Times - Scott James "A Violent Incident Leaves Scars, and Perhaps a Tough New Law" Summary: The little-known victim of a violent event that is believed to have catalyzed a "citizen's uprising" favoring a Sit/Lie law in San Francisco does not believe the law will help. 6/10/10 - BeyondChron.org - Tommi Avicolli-Mecca "Gascón: Heed Your Own Words!" Summary: In an op-ed describing why Arizona's new anti-immigrant law is a mistake, San Francisco Police Chief George Gascón may have well been describing why San Francisco's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance is a mistake. Both adversely affect public safety, both create a resource allocation problem, and both will lead to constitutional violations. 6/9/10 - SF Bay Guardian - Lisa "Tiny" Gray-Garcia "Opinion: When the rich can sit on the sidewalks" Summary: Author compares sit-lie's poor violators with Bay to Breakers drunk upper-class violators. 6/9/10 - San Francisco Examiner - Joshua Sabatini "City Hall Watch: SF mayor's sit-lie law faces setback" Summary: The Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to reject the mayor's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance which would make sitting or lying on San Francisco sidewalks illegal at certain times. Mayor Newsom plans to bypass their decision by taking his proposal to voters in November. In other action, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier (one who voted for the Sit/Lie ordinance) introduced legislation that would enact Laura’s Law that would force treatment on some mentally ill. 6/8/10 - San Francisco Bay Guardian - Alex Emslie "Cutting from the bottom" Summary: More homeless, sicker homeless, will result in San Francisco if Mayor Newsom gets his way cutting health services for the neediest. Article analyzes the severity of the mayor's budget cuts. 6/8/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Landlord serves limbo at popular Ike's Place" Summary: Commentator Nevius chides formerly homeless shoeshine man who may need spinal surgery for being a "soft-touch". 6/8/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Editorial "San Francisco should use Laura's Law" Summary: Chronicle editorial promotes implementation of a law in San Francisco that allows court-ordered treatment for the "the hardest of the hard-core homeless." It accuses "the city's established network of health programs and treatment facilities" of being opposed to the law because it "doesn't want the change that Laura's Law may bring." 6/7/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Heather Knight "For Newsom, little changes add up on mid-Market" Summary: Mayor Newsom surveys his incremental improvements to San Francisco's Mid-Market area where many homeless congregate. 6/7/10 - San Francisco Examiner - Erin Sherbert "Newsom still hoping to expand Homeless Connect" Summary: Mayor Newsom would like to make volunteer services to the homeless available 24/7. 6/7/10 - San Francisco Examiner - Erin Sherbert "Mayor tries sit-lie end run" Summary: If Mayor Newsom is to get his Sit/Lie ordinance before the voters, he must submit a ballot statement by June 15. A Chamber of Commerce Poll shows it would be popular despite opposition from civil-rights activists who believe the ordinance will have unintended consequences. 6/4/10 - SFState News - Elaine Bible "New collaboration will boost access to HIV care" Summary: An SF State HIV researcher, the San Francisco and Alameda county health departments, and the National AIDS Fund launch a collaborative effort to improve access of marginal populations to HIV care in San Francisco and the East Bay. They will work with established homeless shelters, prison programs and faith-based organizations. 6/4/10 - San Francisco Bay Guardian - Caitlin Donohue "Mandela Food Cooperative gets the Redford nod" Summary: Martha Ryan, whose San Francisco Homeless Prenatal Program provides services to over 3,000 homeless families a year, shares a Robert Redford Center honor with actress Rosario Dawson and the worker-owners at the Mandela Foods Cooperative of West Oakland. 6/2/10 - Seattle Post Globe - Eric Ruthford "Homeless shelters: A way out? Or holding tanks that keep people in a homeless state?" Summary: Do shelters help the homeless transition to permanent housing? Or are they expensive places that warehouse people? The author, a former chief financial officer of Raphael House, draws from his experience helping the homeless in San Francisco. 6/2/10 - - Tom Abate "Bay Area jobs hit harder by recession than U.S." Summary: Between April 2009 and April 2010, the Bay Area lost a higher percentage of jobs than the rest of the nation. "More than 12,000 Silicon Valley adults and youths were homeless at some point during 2009, with job loss reported as the No. 1 reason." 6/2/10 - - Carla Jacobs "Time for San Francisco to implement Laura's Law" Summary: Advocate for mandated psychiatric treatment gives reasons why she believes San Francisco must implement Laura's Law. Among them is her belief that it reduces homelessness. 6/1/10 - KTVU 2 - Bay City News "Newsom Proposes $6.48B Budget To Close Huge Deficit" Summary: San Francisco Mayor Newsom proposes budget with targeted spending cuts. Public Health and Human Services, will be reduced by $22.1 million and $10.6 million while hundreds of supportive housing units for the homeless will be added. Video included. 5/30/10 - Bay Citizen - Aaron Glantz "The Hidden Toll of America's Wars: 320,000 brain injuries, 300,000 vets with PTSD" Summary: Troubles (including homelessness) and coping strategies of local veterans highlighted in Memorial Day story. Chart shows escalating numbers of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking help at the VA. 5/30/10 - SF Chronicle - Henry K. Lee "City settles case of arm broken by cop" Summary: "Dust-up" involving a homeless man leads to a settlement of $135,000 by city to settle a lawsuit filed by a bystander who claimed his arm was broken when he was only trying to help the police. 5/30/10 - Edmonton Journal - Richard Warnica "Quiet in the library: an urban dilemma: Cities cope with bad apples in public spaces" Summary: Libraries from San Francisco to Toronto find striking a balance between homeless and housed patrons a challenge. "You don't leave the wider world behind when you enter the library," says Chip Ward, former assistant director of Salt Lake City's public library system. 5/29/10 - MercuryNews.com - Kristin Bender "Swords to Plowshares helps vet get on stable ground" Summary: How the nonprofit agency aids former soldiers. Describes program at Treasure Island with photos. Reported: "According to recent data from Veterans Affairs, 131,000 veterans nationwide are homeless on any given night. That number comprises about 25 percent of the nation's adult homeless population." 5/28/10 - Bay Citizen - Suzanne Manneh "SF Shelters Unwelcoming to LGBT, Spanish Speakers" Summary: District 9 Supervisor David Campos has been listening to complaints from the city’s homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population. 5/28/10 - SF Chronicle "In the Mission" - Rachel Parker "Mission St. Biz and Sit/Lie" Summary: Mission street businesses see Sit-Lie as law to move homeless sleeping in their doorways, not just thugs. 5/27/10 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "Non-Profits Brace for Newsom Budget Cuts" Summary: Health and human services, including $25 million in homeless services, are expected to get cut badly when Mayor Newsom proposes a new city budget on June 1st. 5/27/10 - Wall Street Journal - Cari Tuna "Giving in a Time of Adversity" Summary: John Stumpf, chief executive of Wells Fargo & Co. and supporter of charity network United Way, compares San Francisco's giving to other cities' in the wake of the recent economic downturn. 5/25/10 - Dartmouth - Christy O'keefe " O’Connell discusses homelessness" Summary: President of the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program discusses the complex roots of homelessness and its high mortality rates. When he discovered that a client was a friend of Allen Ginsberg in San Francisco he learned that "when you’re outside seeing people wandering on the streets, are often stories of remarkable courage of people in the face of terrible odds.” 5/25/10 - Mercurynews.com - Associated Press "SF police make arrest in killing of homeless man" Summary: San Francisco police have made an arrest in connection with the beating death of homeless man at the Prita Hotel. 5/25/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Jaxon Van Derbeken "Homeless man slain in Mission District" Summary: The body was found Monday at the Prita Hotel in the Mission District. 5/24/10 - KTVU-2- Bay City News "Sit-Lie Ordinance Passes Committee But Expected To Fail" Summary: "A controversial proposed ordinance in San Francisco that would ban sitting or lying on public sidewalks between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. was passed at committee Monday, but its legislative sponsor acknowledged it will likely die at the full board as the issue moves to the November ballot." 5/24/10 - KGO ABC-7 - Carolyn Tyler "SF library offers social services to homeless" Summary: Story profiles Leah Esguerra, a psychiatric social worker who helps link patrons with services ranging from housing to mental health counseling at the San Francisco Public Library. Video included. 5/24/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - John Coté "Newsom to take sit/lie measure to voters" Summary: San Francisco Mayor Newsom resists supervisors to take ban on sitting/lying on city sidewalks to voters in November. 5/21/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - John Coté "Ballot measures illustrate S.F. power struggle" Summary: San Francisco Mayor Newsom charges that a plan to earmark revenues for the city's transportation agency will not only usurp his authority-- but will hurt the homeless. 5/21/10 - New York Times - Jesse McKinley "Debating Whether It’s a Crime to Rest on San Francisco’s Sidewalks" Summary: The New York Times reports on San Francisco's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance and Starchild's opposition to it. 5/21/10 - Huffington Post - George Lakoff "HUD Is Trying to Privatize and Mortgage Off All of America's Public Housing" Summary: "HUD, under Obama, submitted legislation called PETRA to Congress that would result in the privatization of all public housing in America." The result to expect: hardship and homelessness to many Americans who today live in public housing. 5/20/10 - Bay Area Reporter - Cynthia Laird "John Wahl, attorney to Harvey Milk, dies" Summary: Among other distinctions, Wahl once served as the president of the San Francisco Night Ministry of the San Francisco Council of Churches. 5/19/10 - Catholic San Francisco - Rick DelVecchio "Seminarian gave up Hollywood success to answer Christ’s call" Summary: The desire to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned and shelter the homeless led Wade Bjerke to becoming a Catholic priest in San Francisco. 5/19/10 - Edge Boston - Roger Brigham "Lack of affordable housing disproportionately affects people with HIV/AIDS" Summary: Lack of affordable housing nationwide makes persons living with the HIV virus more vulnerable to homelessness. The article includes an analysis of San Francisco's lack of housing for HIV/AIDS patients. It describes how real estate speculators and lack of rent control is behind a wave of evictions. 5/19/10 - PR Web - Swords to Plowshares "20 Formerly Homeless Veterans Find Permanent Homes" Summary: "Twenty formerly homeless veterans will graduate this Thursday from a transitional housing and rehabilitation program run by the non-profit organization, Swords to Plowshares." 5/19/10 - The Huffington Post - Akhtar Badshah "Glide: Changing Lives in San Francisco" Summary: Microsoft's Senior Director of Global Community Affairs discovers Glide and how to cut carrots more efficiently. 5/18/10 - Seattle Post Globe - Eric Ruthford "Is solving or preventing homelessness cheaper than treating it?" Summary: Reporter asks question: "Will the new way of addressing homelessness -- by providing permanent housing instead of overnight shelter -- actually end homelessness, as planned?" 5/18/10 - Washington Examiner - Bill Quigley and Tony Romano "We call these projects our home" Summary: "No funds have been provided to build new public housing since the mid-1990s." Tens of thousands of Americans suffer for its lack, including a San Francisco resident "who spent two years trying to get on the waitlist for housing and then another seven years actually 'waiting' on the waitlist." 5/17/10 - Infoshop News - Ryan Donohue "Squatters' movement building in San Francisco" Summary: In the wake of a recent event involving a building takeover in San Francisco, this article describes the political dimensions of squatting and the activist group, Homes Not Jails. 5/17/10 - MercuryNews.com - Sal Pizarro "Shelter Helpers" Summary: To lift spirits among homeless in San Jose, an old shelter gets fresh paint even though a newer shelter is planned. 5/17/10 - SF State News - University Communications "Exceptional graduating students profiled" Summary: Despite early obstacles, including having been homeless at 15, Marilyn D. Thomas will be honored by the College of Science and Engineering at SF State's 109th Commencement on Saturday, May 22. She will also be the student speaker at the Commencement. 5/15/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Heather Knight "Newsom has heard it all before on sit/lie proposal" Summary: San Francisco Mayor Newsom accuses opponents of his sit/lie proposal of hyperbole; Barbara Freidenbach of the Coalition On Homelessness responds. 5/14/10 - San Francisco Bay View - Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia "Digital colonization: a challenge for change" Summary: Former homeless woman who co-founded POOR Magazine and the Poor News Network describes "gentrification journalism" and makes a proposal. 5/12/10 - Daily Aztec - Kari Luu "Food Not Bombs helps feed the homeless" Summary: San Diego State Student newspaper describes the Food Not Bombs organization and efforts in San Diego to emulate chapters in San Francisco and elsewhere. 5/12/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "Why Laura's Law has had limited impact" Summary: Ad hoc interest groups of doctors, patients, and police want to enforce a law statewide that "allows a judge to order a patient to take medication under supervised treatment." They claim that this will stabilize the lives of mentally ill homeless persons who are unable to care for themselves. City supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier wants Laura's Law enforceable in San Francisco. 5/11/10 - KTVU "Jessica's Law Leaves SF Sex Offenders Homeless" Summary: California parole officers report that "Jessica's Law -- the 2005 state law aimed at protecting California kids from sex offenders -- has made every recently paroled sex offender in San Francisco homeless and more difficult to track." 5/11/10 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "Mirkarimi to Introduce Targeted Foot Patrol Legislation" Summary: City supervisor Ross Mirkirimi believes improved police foot patrols can make the proposed Sit/Lie ordinance redundant. 5/11/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Moderates must stand up to rhetoric on sit/lie" Summary: Nevius comments on Board of Supervisors committee hearing on the Sit/Lie proposals which he predicts will be a defining issue for the city. 5/10/10 - New America Media - Viji Sundaram "California's Kids Fall Deeper into Poverty, Homelessness" Summary: Grim statistics about growing poverty and homelessness among California's children. 5/10/10 - SF Appeal - Bay City News "Supes Postpone Decision On Sit-Lie Law" Summary: After nearly seven hours debating sit-lie ordinance proposals, a San Francisco Board of Supervisors committee resolved to continue debating them on May 24. 5/10/10 - Los Angeles Times - Lee Romney "No block party in San Francisco" Summary: Dynamics of San Francisco's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance discussed with focus on the Haight Asbury neighborhood and comparison to similar ordinances in LA and elsewhere. 5/9/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Justin Berton "Man found hurt at BART station dies at hospital" Summary: Injured and unconscious man in BART station was ignored because people thought he was a homeless man. He died later. 5/9/10 - New York Times - Sylvia Rubin "What’s in a Name? A Lot, as It Turns Out" Summary: Plagued by family homelessness, San Francisco native gets a new identity after spending 19 years of his life without an official first or middle name. 5/7/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Sylvia Rubin "Designers recycle rags into fashion for charity" Summary: Article about "Discarded to Divine" fundraiser and live auction held at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco on April 29 for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. 5/4/10 - KTVU.com - "Supervisor Proposes Alternative To Controversial Sit-Lie Ordinance" Summary: San Francisco supervisor Chiu proposes a neighborhood-based community justice model as an "alternative" or "complement" to Mayor Newsom's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance legislation. 5/4/10 - Denver Post - Al Lewis "America's housing market needs Mercy" Summary: Sister Lillian Murphy, the CEO of Mercy Housing, has a fascinating perspective to relate to the author who interviews her about her tenant who was recently arrested for making threatening telephone calls to Nancy Pelosi. 5/4/10 - nazret.com - "Ethiopian American High School senior wins San Francisco Human Rights Award" Summary: Mikias Wondyfraw received the City and County of San Francisco Human Rights Award on April 29, 2010. In addition to other outstanding accomplishments, he spent 10 hours a week serving food and blankets in homeless shelters. 5/4/10 - OregonLive.com - The Oregonian Editorial Board "Don't let downtown turn into a panhandlers' paradise" Summary: Editorial argues for measures against panhandling and sidewalk blocking so that Portland, Oregon will not become like San Francisco. 5/3/10 - Highline Times - Julia Livingston "Service to others makes Megan state's top high school student" Summary: Portrait of an altruistic 19-year-old, Megan Johnson, who was motivated to help the homeless after seeing a video about homeless living in San Francisco. 5/3/10 - PopWatch - Clark Collis "'Touching Home': How two Hollywood nobodies convinced Ed Harris to play their father in 2010's most heartfelt movie" Summary: Background to a new film that tells the story of a homeless father who died in the Marin County jail. 5/3/10 - CBS5.com - "Protesters Cited In SF Building Takeover Attempt" Summary: "Fifteen people were cited for trespassing and two for vandalism during a demonstration in San Francisco's Mission District late Saturday, police said." 5/2/10 - Examiner.com - Thomas Pendergast "Anarchists occupy abandoned school for May Day, 11 arrested say police" Summary: "Anarchists" occupy an abandoned school hoping to claim if for the homeless. The demonstration ended after two hours and several arrests. 5/1/10 - SFAppeal - Bay City News "Protest That Closed Mission Streets Criticized For Lack Of Message, Strategic/Ideological Soundness" Summary: At least 50 protesters calling themselves Mission Free State attempted to occupy a building at 1950 Mission St. and open it as a homeless shelter and free school. "The group said the occupation was a response to the planned closure of a homeless shelter at 150 Otis St., as well as state furloughs, budget cuts and elimination of programs at San Francisco State University and University of California at Santa Cruz." 5/1/10 - TheWesternAddition.com - Evelyn Gurzi "Peet's contributions nourish community, support employee volunteerism" Summary: Peet's Coffee build customer loyalty partly by giving to charity and encouraging employees to volunteer in their communities. One 19-year old employee in San Francisco, for example, raises money for the homeless. 5/1/10 - Miami Herald - James H. Burnett III "Former addict hopes to revive treatment center" Summary: John Schmidt works to replicate San Francisco's Delancey Street treatment model in Miami, Florida. 5/1/10 - SF Chronicle - Rachel Gordon "S.F. garden to help feed the homeless" Summary: An unemployed engineer in San Francisco inspires a nationwide project to grow sustainable food, build community, and feed the homeless. 5/10 - A Right to the City Alliance on Public Housing May 2010 - Anita Sinha et al. "We Call These Projects Home: Solving the Housing Crisis From the Ground Up" Summary: Comprehensive 82 page report (.pdf) describes a public housing crisis and ideas to solve it from the perspective of those that benefit from it. 4/30/10 - StoptheDrugWar.org - "Feature: First Drug User Union Forms in San Francisco" Summary: The Drug Policy Alliance Network gives $35,000 grant to the Harm Reduction Therapy Center in San Francisco to assist harm reduction efforts. 4/30/10 - SF Examiner - Mike Aldax "Marina housing irks community" Summary: Details of plan to house youth at risk of homelessness outrages neighborhood. 4/30/10 - St. Petersburg Times - John Fleming "Life imitates art in troupe leader's tragic demise" Summary: Recollection of Charles McCue, who died homeless in San Francisco March 20, 2010, when he was young and full of promise. 4/29/10 - Contra Costa Times - Tony Hicks "Dana Carvey is still a comedy icon" Summary: Bay Area native Dana Garvey who found fame as "The Church Lady" loves to help others-- including the homeless. 4/29/10 - San Francisco Bay Guardian Online - Rebecca Bowe "Meet the proponents of sit / lie" Summary: Article unveils prominent proponents of the proposed sit/lie ordinance. 4/23/10 - Fog City Journal - Hope Johnson "Stay Tuned: The Devil’s in the Sit/Lie Details" Summary: An analysis of a plan to ask San Francisco voters to approve a measure to make sitting or lying on sidewalks illegal. 4/22/10 - SF Chronicle - John Wildermuth "Homeless veterans may get a place of their own" Summary: The nine-story building at 150 Otis will be converted into a permanent living space for homeless veterans. 4/21/10 - El Tecolote - Krystal Peak "Most vulnerable homeless sector seeks shelter" Summary: The challenges are greater getting help if one is homeless and a monolingual Spanish speaker, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or infected with HIV. 4/20/10 - Huffington Post - Tanene Allison "Criminalizing the Poor: A San Francisco Value?" Summary: Harvard educated essayist who was homeless and worked at City Hall when Mayor Newsom was a city supervisor opposes his proposal for a sit/lie ordinance. 4/20/10 - Examiner.com (Los Angeles) - Joel John Roberts " A senior problem, older homeless adults increasing in America" Summary: More homeless are older. Tidbit about homeless in San Francisco: "San Francisco showed an increase of the percent of homeless persons over the age of 50, from 11.2 percent to 32.3 percent in a span of about 8 years." 4/19/10 - VOANews.com - Rhonda Miller "Homeless Take Refuge Among the Bookshelves" Summary: The San Francisco Public Library offers a full-time social worker for the homeless. 4/13/10 - SF Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "Father Louie doing fine in prison" Summary: Update on SFGate Crime Page about St. Boniface Church's Rev. Louie Vitale who was jailed for protesting against the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly the School of the Americas, at Ft. Benning Georgia. 4/12/10 - Borderzine- Mireya Toy "The Invisible Tragedy of Homelessness" Summary: Short but comprehensive view of homelessness in America today (mentions proposed sit/lie law that will likely target the homeless in San Francisco). 4/4/10 - The Independent - Guy Adams "San Francisco goes all prim and proper" Summary: "The city's mayor wants to stop people 'hanging' on the streets of the hippie haven. Will he destroy the essence of the place?" 4/2/10 - SF Chronicle - Robert Hurwitt "Theater producing director Charles McCue dies" Summary: Former producing artistic director of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival dies homeless in San Francisco at age 51. 3/31/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Community Justice Center a year later" Summary: The CJC is a year old and several success stories are profiled. 3/30/10 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "San Franciscans Protest of Sit/Lie Ordinance" Summary: One thousand people protested the proposed sit-lie law last Saturday using creative and artistic demonstrations. 3/29/10 - SF Weekly - Lauren Smiley "Protesters Sit and Lie On Sidewalk So You Can Do The Same" Summary: Coverage of the protest of sit-lie on Saturday. 3/29/10 - BeyondChron - "Open Letter from Religious Leaders Opposing Sit/Lie Proposal" Summary: Priests, rabbis, pastors, and other religious leaders write letter to Police Chief and Mayor opposing sit-lie law. 3/28/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Seattle has lessons for S.F. on street safety" Summary: 10 years ago Seattle passed a sit-lie law, under similar circumstances that SF is in, and their history with the law since then might help SF understand the future if it passes here. 3/27/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Haight at center of sit-lie debate" Summary: A new city controller memo says local residents of the Haight are increasingly unhappy and use this as evidence for the sit/lie law. 3/27/10 - SF Chronicle - John Cote "Protests in S.F. against sit/lie law" Summary: People sat and sunbathed on the sidewalk to protest the proposed sit/lie law. 3/11/10 - SF Chronicle - Mission Local "Police Commission Hears Testimony on Sit-Lie" Summary: A very good description of the testimonies given at yesterday's Police Commission hearing regarding the details of the proposed Sit-Lie law. 3/11/10 - SF Examiner - Melissa Griffin "Revelations about sit-lie" Summary: Different US cities and their approaches to laws targeting the homeless. 3/5/10 - SF Examiner - Ken Garcia "Supervisors backed into a corner" Summary: Board of Supervisors will decide on Sit-Lie law, but law may end up on November ballot anyway. 3/4/10- SF Examiner - Melissa Griffin "Let Portland be lesson for The City" Summary: The Portland Sit-Lie law is an inspiration for SF's Sit-Lie law, and there are concerns that SF's proposed law might be overruled by court as it was in Portland. 3/4/10 - SF Chronicle - CW Nevius "Sit/lie law won't trip up tourists" Summary: Sit-Lie law supporters say the law will only target thugs and not non-thugs like tourists. 3/4/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Blunt words for business" Summary: Mayor Newsom told business leaders at a breakfast meeting that homeless advocates are influencing policy on homeless issues, and business leaders need to speak up to be heard. 3/3/10 - SF Chronicle - Editorial "Stand up for public safety on sit/lie ordinance" Summary: Chronicle editors favor Sit-Lie law to address thug issue, dismiss idea that it criminalizes homelessness. 3/2/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Mayor to introduce 2 plans for sit/lie law today" Summary: Details and reasons for the mayor's Sit-Lie law. 3/2/10 - SF Examiner - Joshua Sabatini and Erin Sherbert "Mayor Newsom steps into sit-lie arena" Summary: Newsom introduces a Sit-Lie law based on Seattle's law. Business leaders support it, others have complaints for different reasons. 3/1/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Haight Street sit-lie debate moves indoors" Summary: City Hall to debate the proposed Sit-Lie law. 2/27/10 - SF Chronicle - CW Nevius "Walk on Haight converts Newsom to sit/lie" Summary: Mayor was reluctant to support Sit-Lie law until a walk in the Haight with his family revealed drug use on the sidewalk. 2/26/10 - SF Examiner - Joshua Sabatini "Sit-lie battle enters arena of the supes" Summary: Board of Supervisors will debate proposed Sit-Lie law. 2/26/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Cameras expose Haight crime" Summary: Video camera have been installed in the Haight as a response to crime attributed to the street thugs that are giving momentum to the Sit-Lie law proponents. 2/25/10 - SF Chronicle - John Cote "City Inside: Newsom blasts Coalition on Homelessness" Summary: Newsom lashes out at Coalition during Project Homeless Connect for not being there helping, and Coalition responds they are working in the legal section. 2/24/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F. on pace with 10-year plan on homeless" Summary: The Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness set a goal of adding 3,000 housing units by 2013, and the city is half way there, but still needs family housing and services. 2/10/10 - SF Chronicle - Carl Nolte "Homeless man reunited with his cat" Summary: Homeless man's reunion with his pet cat in San Francisco attracts worldwide attention. 2/5/10 - SF Examiner - John Upton "New housing planned for homeless veterans" Summary: 150 Otis shelter will close in July to provide new housing for veterans. 1/28/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Gascon seeking common ground on “sit-lie”" Summary: Police Chief Gascon meets with Coalition On Homelessness director Jennifer Friedenbach to discuss the sit-lie law. 1/21/10 - SF Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "San Francisco marchers want affordable housing" Summary: Hundreds of affordable-housing advocates from all over the West Coast marched through downtown San Francisco to call for billions of dollars to be spent on helping lower-income people pay for housing. 1/19/10 - SF Chronicle - Thomas Wong "Sit-lie ordinance not the answer for the Haight" Summary: The sit-lie ordinance has many hurdles to overcome before it's a law, and may even be overkill for a problem that comes from a specific type of roving Mad Max-type thug, and not the homeless. 1/16/10 - SF Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Haight's up in arms over street thugs" Summary: The presence of aggressive street panhandlers, usually young people with dogs, is fueling a community outrage for the city to do something, possibly even passing a Sit-Lie law. 1/14/10 - SF Examiner - Mike Aldax "Newsom pledges to cut homeless population" Summary: Mayor Newsom pledges to cut homeless population in half on city streets by end of year. 1/11/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Library adds social worker to assist homeless" Summary: The Main Library at the Civic Center has added a social worker to deal with the presence of homeless using the library for cleaning and other uses. 1/10/10 - SF Chronicle - Mission Local "Women Seek Stability in SROs" Summary: The Mission Hotel provides flat-rate rooms and supportive services. 1/5/10 - SF Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Police chief won't take criticism lying down" Summary: Police Chief Gascon supports a Sit-Lie law to address the street thug issue in the Haight, and challenges the Bay Guardians allegation that the law would lead to round ups of the homeless. 1/5/10 - SF Chronicle - Obituary "Eric Bayer" Summary: Celebrated and much loved social worker and HOT team member Eric Bayer passed away. Category:Media